Some memories of the year 2017

It’s again time to summon the year that’s gone. As usual the year 2017 brought us both happy and sad news. We had many reasons to smile but also many reasons to cry. However, that’s how life is ….

The following flash backs are what first came to my mind. So much happened but it’s impossible to mention everything here. I’m sure you have your own flash backs that may be quite different from mine.

For me the year started in the best possible way. On the 2nd of January the Ranua Zoo announced that Venus had given birth to a cub which was now eight weeks old. One of the highlights of the year was the first outing with Venus and her cub that later got the name Sisu. Another highlight was, of course, our visit to Ranua.

Even in Hellabrunn the baby girl Quintana had her first outing ….

…. just like Aron in Tallinn.

Sadly little Fritz in Berlin had to leave us and become a sweet bear angel.

Now we know there’s polar bear cub even this year in the Tierpark. I’m sure all our prayers are with Tonja and her baby. May everything go well this time.

We have even received happy polar bear family news from Gelsenkirchen where Lara and Bill are now parents of a sweet cubbie.

Not only cute polar bear cubs stole our hearts. In the Berlin Zoo an adorable baby bear Balou was born.

Of course, I immediately fell in love with this sweet hitch hiker!

We lost many dear polar bear friends during the year. They are deeply missed but our love to them will never fade.

We’ve seen lots of videos of active animals but this is my favourite video – there’s not so much action but the small gestures say it all!

The brown bear couple in the zoo are together again after their cubs have moved to a zoo in France. The reunion was very sweet!

This video illustrates my wishes for the year 2018. I hope we can all cherish the small things that make us glad and happy. We don’t have to wait for something ‘spectacular’ to happen – all the sweet moments are spectacular enough!

I want to express my gratitude to all the reporters and photographers who make it possible for me to keep this magazine going. To my great delight there are many new reporters, too! I don’t mention any names but each and every contribution is always welcome and very much appreciated!

Of course, I even want to thank all the readers – especially you taking your time to write comments. I’m sure every reporter is glad about the feed-back!

Finally I want to thank Vesa, Mimmi and Nalle for their patience! Editing this magazine and keeping the Knuipe running takes a lot of time but my family understands it. Vesa helps me with the research and Mimmi & Nalle are a great source of inspiration for me.

Dear Mervi I am glad to be the first to thank you for not just this excellent roundup of 2017 but also for editing KWM and hosting us in the Knuipe.
Whatever you decide to do in 2018 this ten years has been a wonderful journey together.

Dear Mervi!
Thank you so much for your personal end-of- year- review which is heartwarming and -breaking the same time. It contains both: happy and sad incidents in the world of polar bears, bears and animals in general.
You chose beautiful photos for it.

There were some lovely cubs we could welcome this year and they caused pure joy in our hearts.
But there were some beloved bears also who passed away far too early: little Fritz, Yoghi, Manasse and Lars. You are right:” They are deeply missed but our love to them will never fade.” They will stay in our heart and we will never ever forget them.

Thank you for all your efforts around KWM. It´s a beautiful and friendly place for animal lovers.
I hope you will continue!

Many pawwaves and hugs to you, Vesa and your housetigers
Happy New Year!
Anke

Dear Mervi, thank you so much for this precious overview of 2017. Like the others wrote already, there were wins and there were losses. And this is the definition of life. With regard to the babies, I am wishing them all the best and with regard to the oldies: glad to know that they are still around and hopefully for some years.
HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Dear Mervi,
thank you for the review of the year. As always there were many happy occasions, but there were very sad too.
The death of Fritz was very bad. I am very sad that Lars passed away too. I hope the new polar bear cubs will grow and stay strong.
I wish us all a Happy New Year!
Hugs
Ludmila

Dear MERVI you made a wonderful choice of pictures as MEMORY for the year 2017
for so many of our animal-DARLINGs!

Congratulations! on your insightful and helpful home-DARLINGa, VESA, MIMMI, and NALLE.
That’s not to be taken for granted! . . . And be sure, we ARE AWARE of the incredible amount of time
you MUST use to keep running your hobbyhorses for your own AND our joy!

[ At this occasion also ‘THank you very much’ to any of the other article-creators, photographers, those who bring information of various kind to us via your platforms! . . . and not to forget those who give also kind of articles by their comments 🙂 ]

I also liked YOUR WORDS (the serious ones as much as the funny and/or touching ones) very much – not only in this last contribution of the ‘old’ year but also in so many others of your own ‘KWM’- contributions and as comments here and in KNUTITOURS’ ‘Die KNUIPE’.

– – –
BTW the cover-pic (= collage of SISU with a dwarf-snowman!?) for the ‘SISU-article’ is super-cute.
May I ask you to show it also in a biiiig size! 🙂
– – –

Perfect continuation of the -hopefully- perfect start of the year 2018 o ALL/e !

Dear Mervi !
Happy new year and thanks a lot for the look back on 2017 – with wonderful and sad experiences.
Thanks for your great work here and lots of greetings to you and all the other, who write and/or comment here and show wonderful pictures.
Hugs to Malmö from Copenhagen
Inge